Photo credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]OHS staff member Shannon Braxton, who teaches Foods I and II, was chosen as Orange’s 2013-14 Teacher of the Year. According to her nomination statement, she was nominated for being “an excellent teacher” who “is very organized and professional at all times,” “imparts life skills,” and “cares about every one of her students no matter their background.”
Braxton stated, “It is a great honor to be selected by my coworkers” as Teacher of the Year. An important teaching strategy she has is trying “to understand students.” Her class is unique because it “lends itself to hands-on learning.” Braxton has wanted to teach from a young age. As a child, she used to teach her dolls. “It’s what I always wanted to do,” she said.
Braxton loves cooking, whether it is inside or outside school. She’s a self-professed foodie and she doesn’t have a favorite food. “I like all foods. I want to try everything at least once,” she stated. She said that she grew up in the country and began cooking her own meals at 10. She “learned to cook over the phone” because she often called her parents while she was cooking. Some of her favorite recipes are pastas and desserts. Her Foods I class focuses on cooking foods from the five food groups, while Foods II cooks “cakes and yeast breads.”
OHS Principal Jason Johnson described Braxton as “awesome” and the “ultimate professional.” He said that she “makes Orange High look excellent.” Junior Haylee Burton, 16, called Braxton “a very hard-working teacher who will do anything to help her students succeed.” She said that “[Braxton] is such a sweet and funny woman, and a wonderful teacher who definitely deserves to be Teacher of the Year.”
The other teachers nominated for Teacher of the Year were Javier Amador, Brooke Connor, Kelly Helner, Brian Parker, Becky Smith, and Rusty Wagoner.
Besides teaching, Braxton also likes “working on... scrapbooks” and “hanging out with friends.” Her favorite quote, by Margaret Mead, is, “Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.” The quote helps her because “we forget that we can be that positive influence.”
“I love doing what I do. I love my job,” Braxton said.
0 comments